Haredim Angered By Jerusalem Christmas Tree

Haredi leaders were outraged when the City of Jerusalem allowed a large Christmas tree to be displayed at Jaffa Gate last week, the main entrance to the Old City for many Jews and Armenians.

Jaffa Gate

Haredim Angered By Jerusalem Christmas Tree
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

The Jerusalem Post reports that haredi leaders were outraged when the City of Jerusalem allowed a large Christmas tree to be displayed at Jaffa Gate last week, the main entrance to the Old City for many Jews and Armenians.

The permit was issued to a private individual for three days and expired last Thursday. The permit-holder promptly removed the tree.

“It’s an awful thing that there was a Christmas tree at the opening of Jaffa Gate. Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel. Yes, this is a place for haredim, Jews, Christians and Muslims, and there is no doubt that there’s a holiday, but the best place to celebrate it is in their churches and in their homes,” Jerusalem City Council Member Shmuel Yitzhaki of the Sefardi haredi Shas party told the Post.

“Since Jerusalem has a Christian Quarter, why are they putting it at Jaffa Gate, which is the central place for Jews and the way to get to Temple Mount?” Yitzhaki asked, calling the Christmas tree “idol worship,” and forgetting that Jaffa Gate leads directly into the Armenian Quarter, which is populated by Armenian Christians.

The city said that the tree was not meant to be a provocation.

“This tree is just like when the municipality put hanukkiot [menorahs] around the city during Hanukkah,” a city spokesman said. “This is a city of three religions, and it was done as a sign of respect, not to harass or annoy anyone.”

Even so, this is the first time in many years that the city has allowed a Christmas tree to be placed in front of Jaffa Gate.

Yesterday, the city continued a holiday gesture it has done for many years – it distributed Christmas trees free of charge to Jerusalem residents.

Comments

[Mendy]

and forgetting that Jaffa Gate leads directly into the Armenian Quarter, which is populated by Armenian Christians.

Huh? Shmarya, have you ever even been to Jerusalem? The "Armenian Quarter" is Armenian in name only. The majority of its residents are Jewish!

Another one of Shmarya's "facts"....

[Shmarya]

Idiot.

I lived in the old the old city for and worked there.

The Armenian Quarter is heavily Armenian, as it has been for well over 100 years.

Do you Chabad trolls have no shame at all?

[Abu Jihad Schneerson]

Shmaryah,at least in these 2 days PLEASE calm down a little and quit insulting Chabadniks!!!!Tomorrow is their holiest day and,for darkhe shalom's sake,refrain from abusing them!You wouldn't like if they marred your shabat or Yom kippur with their aggressive behaviour!

[different dave]

I'd love to see how many Christmas trees are in the West Bank or Gaza or any Muslim controlled nation kudos to the Israeli government for allowing freedom of religion and to the religious Jews suck it up

[Expatriate Owl]

"Yes, this is a place for haredim, Jews, Christians and Muslims ..."

Seems as they do not consider non-haredim to be part of Klal Israel. But we already knew that!

[Yosef ben Matitya]

Do you Chabad trolls have no shame at all?

no shame at all, reb shmarya.
to paraphrase manis fried man, nobody blushes anymore! :-)

[Yosef ben Matitya]

Abu Jihad
"quit insulting ...!!!! Tomorrow is their holiest day"
gee, thanks Abu Jihad, I always wondered why the only celebrate the day of ascent in tammuz.
so the birthday, would be tommorow. wow!

[Garnel Ironheart]

Ah but here's the question: do Armenians even have a tradition of X-mas trees?

[rebitzman]

Ah but here's the question: do Armenians even have a tradition of X-mas trees?

Yes

[R. Wisler]

If Chabad can display their so-called menorahs in a Christian country, then Christians should be able to display their Nativity displays in a Jewish country.

[Yochanan Lavie]

Oy Tannenbaum, Reb Tannenbaum,
wie konstant ist deine טענה!
Du קוועטשן nicht nur
zur Sommerzeit,
Nein auch im ניטל, wenn es schneit.
Oy Tannenbaum, Reb Tannenbaum,
wie konstant ist deine טענה!

[ruthie]

yochanan!
i love "silent night" omg it's such a beautiful song.
as for these people, for g-d's sake, it a christmas tree...
it represents peace and brotherhood.....they should chill out...
omg

[GN]

"Ah but here's the question: do Armenians even have a tradition of X-mas trees?"

Yes Garnel, I grew up in Armenia, we all had Christmas trees, even in Soviet times.

And here's my question: why does it even matter to you?

[flatearth]

There's snow on the ground
There's a nip in the air
Merry Fucking Christmas
From your friends in New Square

[Eli, what me messiah?]

Shmarya,
I agree with Abu. Please show a little respect on this holiest the holy days for the Chabadniks. Late tonight, eight little reindeer are supposed to tow the rebbe's chair out of 770 to take him around the world, where legend has it he will go down the chimneys of yeshivas everywhere, where he may happen upon good little Chabadniks, like "Little Cindy Lu(bav), who is not more than two".
There's a Chuck Jones version of his adventures, chronicled by Dr. Seuss, that is on TV around this time of year, too.

[Isa]

Christmas trees was originally a custom from Germany
Previously before mass media [before WWII certainly before 1900], Christmas trees were NOT a custom of the Eastern Christians.

Now I do not know

[Yochanan Lavie]

http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/hunting-for-the-perfect-jnf-christmas-tree-in-israel/12130

Thanks to the cultural influence of America, which in turn was influenced by a vast influx of German immigrants, Christmas trees have been ubiquitous throughout the Christian world.

Ruthie: Holla!

[mimi]

Yochanan Levie is correct.

Christmas is increasing in importance throughout the Mediterranean, due to Northern Traditions being copied. The Christmas Tree has been adopted heavily all over the world, even in non Christian Japan.

The Spring Holidays are the major religious holidays for Mediterranean Christians.

[oldtime brooklyn]

mimi

funny you should mention that - a brooklyn college buddy lives in japan with local wife and kid and posted their Christmas tree pics on fb (he was a yeshiva kid) - Merry Christmas

[mimi]

Oldtime,

Just seeing that must be a hoot.

[oldtime brooklyn]

mimi - he and the wife are a hoot - he looks like dylan these days and i sent him some ubet syrup = what is brooklyn sans an eggcream